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-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=:/^\:=> AnTaReS CyberSurfing Division : - : Access / Antares <:=/^\:=-
SOURCE : ColumbiaNet Document Server ( ColumbiaNet.Columbia.Edu )
BY : Access / Antares
DATE : 08/09/94
SUBJ : How To Get Into IRC
COMMENT: The Following Documents Were Grabbed On The Information Server Of
The University Of Columbia. The Main Subject iS IRC but You Will
Be Able To Found Some Good Informations About MUD ( Multi-User
Dungeons )
1) How To Register Your Nickname
--------------------------------
Document : nickserv-faq
Questions answered in this FAQ:
01) What is NickServ ?
02) How to correctly address NickServ ?
03) On-line help
04) Query NickServ about a nick
05) How do I register my nick ?
06) How do I change my email adress and/or info
07) How to drop a registred nick
08) Nicks will expire after 10 weeks of non-use.
09) Changing my password
10) How to identify yourself to NickServ
11) Using the same nick from several hosts
12) Listing the access list
13) Removing access list entries
14) I have forgot my password, what do I do now...
15) Reporting bugs
16) Copyright and disclaimer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A note on NickServ replies:
ASCII based clients will see replies from NickServ as -service.de-.
Zircon based clients will see replies from NickServ in the info window.
Anything else may indicate a fake NickServ
01) What is NickServ ?
NickServ (or NickServ@Service.de as the correct name is) is a service
where you can register your nick for your and others convenience.
BEWARE: Registering your nick does NOT indicate that you OWN your nick.
Nicks are not owned on IRC.
This is an established FACT.
Registering your nick is done to avoid confusion if someone else should
unfortunately out of ignorance use your nick.
Register your nick and make it a "established" one. A bot using your
nick may or may not be killed depending on the IRC-operator you ask.
BUT, a human using your nick will never ever be killed by a IRC-Op.
Think of registering your nick as getting a "brith certificate" for your
nick, with your email and your name or cute saying.
02) How to correctly address NickServ ?
To adress NickServ, the command is:
/msg NickServ@service.de <command> <parameters>
Anything else may be a faulty NickServ, unless you get the following
mesage:
-service.de- NickServ has changed. For security purposes,
-service.de- you will have to send your service queries via
-service.de- /msg NickServ@service.de <command>
-service.de- If you use an IRC client with ALIAS capability,
-service.de- you may simply define an appropriate command.
A lot of silly users have faked NickServ in the past, and thus
be able to get their hands on login-passwords. To fake NickServ
should be very difficult these days.
One appropriate alias for ircII (which I use myself) is:
/alias NS /msg NickServ@service.de $*
03) On-line help
You may get on-line help two ways:
/msg NickServ@service.de help <command> <subcommand>
or messaging a NickServ operator and ask him or her politely for help.
BUT, you should read the current HELP entry first. Remember that NickServ
operators are humans with things to do besides being a NickServ oper :-)
Be patient.
04) Query NickServ about a nick
Send /msg NickServ@service.de whois <nickname>
You may then get a entry telling you the following info:
- Nickname and supplied additional information
- Email address
- When Nickname registred, and what user and host.domain it use
- Signon and off times
- Status (matching user/host, Authentication info)
05) How do I register my nick ?
The correct syntax is:
/msg NickServ@service.de register <password> <email> <additional info>
NOTE: the <password> is NOT YOUR LOGIN PASSWORD. Find a new and fresh
password to use with nickserv. The password is there for your
security so that no-one than you can alter or remove your nickserv
entry.
The password is case sensitive.
For instance, a user nicked "gnarfer" wants to register his nickname
he then issues the following:
/msg NickServ@service.de register LSD-Rules ruben@uib.no Ruben Olsen
NickServ will then reply with:
-service.de- *** You have been registered.
06) How do I change my email adress and/or info
First identify yourself to the NickServ with the identify command,
then issue a register command.
07) How to drop a registred nick
First identify yourself to NickServ with the identify command, then issue
a /msg NickServ@service.de UNREG
NickServ will then reply with
-service.de- *** '<YourNick>' is unregistered.
For instance if a user name "gnarfer" does unregister his nick, NickServ
replies with
-service.de- *** 'gnarfer' is unregistered.
08) Nicks will expire after 10 weeks of non-use.
A nick will be removed after aproximately 10 weeks of non-use. Things
are a bit lax during summer vacation, so your nick will usualy survive
during this.
09) Changing my password
You must identify yourself (if not done) before you can issue the
passwd command, the correct syntax is:
/msg NickServ@service.de passwd <newpassword>
If everything goes OK, NickServ will reply with:
-service.de- *** Password has been changed.
NOTE: the <password> is NOT YOUR LOGIN PASSWORD. Find a new and fresh
password to use with nickserv. The password is there for your
security so that no-one than you can alter or remove your nickserv
entry. The password is case sensitive.
10) How to identify yourself to NickServ
The correct syntax is:
/msg NickServ@service.de identify <password>
where <password> is your NickServ password.
NOTE: If there is a link-break (which happens from time to time), you
must re-identify yourself to the NickServ.
11) Using the same nick from several hosts
To be able to do this, you must add other hosts in the access list.
To be able to alter the access list, you must first identify yourself
(if not done). Then issue the command:
/msg NickServ@service.cd access add <user>@<host>.<domain>
wildcarding is allowed.
For instance if the user nicked "gnarfer" wants to add some of the
other hosts he is using, he will then issue
/msg NickServ@service.de access add rubenro@*.blh.no
NickServ will the reply with:
-service.de- *** ACCESS: Site entry 'rubenro@*.bih.no' added -
delayed until next synch operation
-service.de- *** NickServ register entry updated (added 1 site).
12) Listing the access list
Syntax is
/msg NickServ@service.de access list
You must identify yourself first if you have not done this before you
can issue an access command.
13) Removing access list entries
Syntax is
/msg NickServ@service.de access delete <number>
where <number> is a number given in a access list
You must identify yourself first if you have not done this before you
can issue a access delete command.
For instance if the user nicked "gnarfer" wants to delte the entry named
rubenro@*.blh.no, he will first issue the access list command and
NickServ responds with
-> *NickServ@service.de* access list
-service.de- Site entry #1: rubenro@*.bih.no
-service.de- Site entry #2: rubenro@*.blh.no
-service.de- *** ACCESS DELETE <number> to delete a site entry.
He then does the
/msg NickServ@service.de delete 2
and NickServ responds with
-service.de- *** ACCESS: Site entry 2 deleted.
14) I have forgot my password, what do I do now...
This is a frequent problem; the solution is as follows:
1) Logon to IRC with the matching NickServ host and user entry. That is
the host and user you registred your nicks by. NickServ operators
issuing a whois command to the NickServ should then see:
-service.de- * Status: Matching host entries
If this message does not appear, the NickServ operator may refuse
to change your NickServ password.
2) type
/msg NickServ@service.de operwho
You will then get a list of NickServ operators, send one of the nicks
that has a asterix ('*') in front of their nick a message politely
asking if they can set a new password for you.
Remember that NickServ operators are humans with things to do beside
beeing a NickServ oper :-), please be patient.
3) Remember to change your passwd again. REMEMBER to change it to
something that is not your login password.
This is done with /msg NickServ@service.de passwd <newpasswd>
Sending mail to the NickServ email adress, or to me, will only get you
the above as an answer ;-)
You can't ask what your current password is since it is not possible to
"see" a NickServ password. They are all encrypted in the database.
15) Reporting bugs
To report a NickServ bug, either do it ON-line with the BUG command,
or send a mail to IRC@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE with Subject: NickServ.
On-line bug reporting is done with /msg NickServ@service.de BUG <bug
report>.
If you want to report a bug by email, issue a
/msg NickServ@service.de help bug
to get the current version and compile, please include this in your
email. When mailing, rember to include as much information as possible
on the problem as you see or experience it.
Forgeting your NickServ password is NOT a bug ;-), nor a email issue.
If you email NickServ about forgotten passwords, you will surely get
a reply with the answer of question 14 :-)
16) Copyright and disclaimer
This FAQ is Copyright (C) Ove Ruben R Olsen - 1994. This FAQ should
mainly be distributed on USENET, and USENET only. If you want to
distribute it by other ways than USENET, publish it on paper or
electronicaly (CD-ROM, Floppydisks and such) you should contact the
author of the FAQ to get permission.
The information in this FAQ is provided 'AS-IS' and the author should not
be held liable for any damange the information provided here in may cause.
If you have futher problems with NickServ or question that are not covered
in this FAQ, you are welcome to email to IRC@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE.
Your mail will then be forwarded to the right authorities on NickServ.
You may also speak with "ruben" on line (or any other NickServ operator).
Unfortunately I will definitely NOT be answering any questions after
11.00 PM GMT ;-), so if you don't get a respone from me, stay cool. You
may also issue a /whois ruben ruben (yes ruben twice) to see my idle time
and my correctly set away msg (please respect this).
\Ruben.
_________________________________________________________________________
2) What is IRC And How To Get In ( undernet.org )
--------------------------------------------------
Document : undernet-faq / Part 1
Undernet IRC FAQ [Part I] (updated 28th July 1994) - Weekly Repost
Version 1 By Paul Grant (Grant)
Version 2-3 - written by Mandar Mirashi (Mmmm)
mmmirash@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu
The FAQ consists of answers to several frequently asked questions on the
IRC newsgroups. Please don't ask these questions again, they've been
answered plenty of times already - and please don't flame someone just
because they may not have read this particular posting. Thank you.
The FAQ consists of the following sections.
I) IRC for the newcomer
II) The Undernet (for the newcomer)
III) The Undernet (for the EFnetter)
IV) The Undernet (how can you participate?)
IV) The Undernet (how can you participate?)
V) Acknowledgements/References
VI) Undernet IRC server list
This article covers section I, and includes answers to:
1-1) What is IRC?
1-2) Alright, now how do I get onto IRC?
1-3) Are there any IRC telnet sites?
1-4) Hmm..I'm confused. What does a client do? What's a server?
1-5) What do I do next, once I'm connected to IRC? Is there a way to get
online help? Why won't /help work for me?
(**CUTTED**)
( ACCESS'NOTE : SORRY... I DIDN'T GET THE WHOLE STUFF , If You Want It,
Telnet To ColumbiaNet.Columbia.Edu And Do A Search For "irc" )
If you're looking for the answer to, say, question 1-5, and want to skip
everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression "^1-5".
(/1-5 in case you use vi).
While I have tried my best to keep the FAQ updated, there may be
inadvertent mistakes or omissions. Is there a question that you find
frequently asked, but not mentioned? Please send all suggested additions/
corrections/deletions/comments/etc. to mmmirash@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu
This FAQ (both parts) can be obtained via anonymous ftp from ftp.undernet.org
or ftp2.undernet.org under /irc/docs, or from rtfm.mit.edu under
/pub/usenet/alt.irc/ If ftp does not work from your site, then try
the mail server: send email to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with
send usenet/news.answers/irc/undernet-faq/part1
send usenet/news.answers/irc/undernet-faq/part2
URL's on the World Wide Web for this FAQ are:
http://www.undernet.org/~agifford/undernet/underfaq/
http://www2.undernet.org:8080/~cs93jtl/underfaq/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-1) What is IRC?
IRC stands for the Internet Relay Chat. It is a much better, multi
user implementation of the rudimentary 'talk' program. On IRC,
several persons can simultaneously participate in a discussion
over a particular 'channel', or even multiple channels. There is
no restriction to the number of people that can participate in a
given discussion, or the number of channels that can be formed
over IRC.
All conversations take place in *real time*. That's one of the fortes
of IRC, and IRC has been used extensively for live coverage of
world events, news, sports commentary, etc. It also serves as an
*extremely* inexpensive substitute for long distance calling. People
from all corners of the world can be found over IRC.
IRC was developed by Jarkko Oikarinen in Finland in the late
eighties, and was originally intended to work as a better
substitute for 'talk' on his bulletin board. Of course, since
then, it attracted overwhelming popularity, especially after
the Gulf war when IRC was used to carry live coverage of events,
and its growth has been exponential after that. Since then, reports
of the Russian coup, and the California earthquake have been
carried *live* over IRC, with people located in Russia and California
bringing in the eyewitness reports.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-2) Alright, now how do I get onto IRC?
The irc program that you need to get onto irc is called an 'irc
client'. First, check if your system already has an irc client
installed by entering "irc" at your system prompt. If you're
lucky, it could have been installed already on your system, and
you may skip the remainder of this answer. If you do not have
an irc client installed on your system, then you need to install
one.
Irc clients have been developed for a variety of platforms, and
the Unix ircII client is by far the most popular one. There are
also several emacs and x11 clients that run under Unix. Irc
clients have been developed for MS-DOS / MSWindows, Macintoshes,
(assuming that the PC/Macintosh that you use is connected to the
network, i.e. you can't use a MS-Windows client if you dial in via a
modem to a Unix system, although you may be on a PC - unless your PC
is on the network with its own ip address (e.g. runs slip/ppp)) VMS
systems and VM/CMS systems as well. A major repository for IRC clients
of all kinds is the site cs-ftp.bu.edu. Another site that you may want
to try is ftp.undernet.org. You will need to FTP the code for the
clients (or binaries as may be the case) from these anonymous ftp
sites. A popular VMS client is the dough 'ircII-for-vms' client which
has a lot of good features. WSirc is a good MS-Windows irc client.
ircII on Unix
--------------
If you're on a Unix system, and aren't familiar with the nuances
of ftp, uncompress, untar, the concept of Makefiles, etc. you may
wish to try the auto-magic install which will do it for you. The
foll. command at your Unix prompt will auto install an ircII client:
telnet sci.dixie.edu 1 | sh
The unix ircII client takes up about 1.5Megs of disk space (including
the help files). If you do not have enough diskspace, you may try
a precompiled client for your system, which is usually just 400K
or so. To find out what Unix system you're on, use the command
'uname -a'. Once you do that, ftp the appropriate precompiled client
from
ftp.undernet.org /irc/clients/compiled.
If you cannot spare even 400K for an irc binary, you may want to
try the smallirc client which can be found at ftp.undernet.org
under /irc/clients. This takes about 100-150K.
ircII under VMS
---------------
Here are the sequence of steps I took to install the ircII for vms
client:
$ create/dir [.ircii]
$ set def [.ircii]
$ ftp ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
UBVMSA.CC.BUFFALO.EDU>user
Foreign username: anonymous
<anonymous user ok. Send real ident as password.
Password:
<Guest User MEMS@ logged into DISK$ACSDISK2:[VMSSERV] at Thu 30-Jun-94
<Directory and access restrictions apply
UBVMSA.CC.BUFFALO.EDU>cd [.maslib.utilities.irc]
<Connected to DISK$ACSDISK2:[VMSSERV.MASLIB.UTILITIES.IRC].
UBVMSA.CC.BUFFALO.EDU>confirm off
[All transactions are implicitly confirmed]
UBVMSA.CC.BUFFALO.EDU>mget *.*;*
[... multiple file gets deleted...]
UBVMSA.CC.BUFFALO.EDU>quit
FTP>quit
$
$@install
This will put you onto the main installation menu.
You may exit this menu by holding the "Ctrl" key down and pressing "Z".
Installation is very simple, just start with the first option 'P' and
set the installation directory. Also use 'S' to select the default
server. Next select option 'C' and begin compiling
the program. If that completes successfully you can then try and run
the irc program with the next option to see if it compiled correctly.
If it has then you can go to the next option and edit your login.com
to have $irc :== $disk:[username.ircii]irc.exe For example:
$IRC :== $COUGAR:[SMIM.IRCII]IRC.EXE
You can then proceed to the next step and delete all the non-essential
files to conserve your disk quota.
WSIRC under DOS/MS-WINDOWS
--------------------------
(this section assembled from responses by Caesar Samsi,csamsi@clark.net,
- the author of wsirc, on alt.irc )
First, you must be running MS-Windows. WSIRC and WINSOCK.DLL are
MS-Windows based software.
Second, you must use an implementation of tcp/ip for MS-Windows which
is called WINSOCK.DLL (it is actually the name of the file, but we refer
to the protocol by the same name).
Third, you must either be connected to a TCP/IP LAN or a modem. When
you use a modem, you must subscribe to a SLIP/PPP account with your
Internet Service Provider. You must ask them: your username, your
pchostname, your permanent ip address , their DNS ip address. These will
be required for WINSOCK.DLL configuration setup.
Fourth, there is a configuration setup you need to do with WINSOCK.DLL,
the specifics are covered by each vendor's documentation. Commercial
WINSOCK software costs US$ 199.- to US$ 299.-. Shareware WINSOCK
software costs US$ 20.- to US$ 40.- (Peter Tattam's WINSOCK.DLL is US
$ 20.- has an internal SLIP driver and works very well). FTP sites
for the complete WINSOCK distribution are:
winftp.cica.indiana.edu File: twsk10a.zip
ftp.cica.indiana.edu File: /pub/pc/win3/winsock/winsock.zip
Fifth, assuming all of the configuration works. Dial up your internet
service provider to your SLIP or PPP account (a script file can automate
this process) if you're on a modem.
Sixth, once connected, start up WSIRC. Open up the Options | Server
dialog box and enter all information in the boxes provided. For server
names, browse the list of servers in the appendix of this FAQ. Do not
use the actual ip address (e.g 123.222.222.222), use the human text name
(us.undernet.org). Use port 6667. Use the username and pcname provided
by your SLIP provider. Use nicknames that are NO LONGER than 9
characters. Use no spaces in between for anything (except for the email
info, but that's optional).
Seventh, click on the connect button (or use File | Connect). If it
doesn't connect, try another server. If 11004 error occurs, either your
DNS ip address is wrong or you entered an invalid server name, enter a
valid server name. If 10060 or 10061 occurs, either the server is down,
busy or otherwise not responding, try another server. If the server
says "Nickname in use", change your nickname on the fly with /NICK
mynick. The server should then display its MOTD (message of the day)
file.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-3) Are there any IRC telnet sites?
This question pops up with frightening regularity on the irc
newsgroups. IRC telnet sites are absolutely not recommended except
as a *last ditch* effort when compiling a client doesn't work for
you, or if you are simply unable to use a client for lack of an
account/diskspace/etc. Before answering this question, you should
consider the following *disadvantages* of using a telnet client site
for IRC:
* It is much much slower than using your own client. In cases, you
may be connecting all across a continent to use IRC.
* It is usually limited by a maximum number of users allowed on it.
* It is not possible to send or receive files over irc when using
a telnet client.
* It is not possible to customise and tailor the client to suit your
needs.
* And finally, a telnet client site may simply stop providing service
due to the huge abuse that often results from the client. This is
more often the case than the exception. So, you are left stranded
and have to hunt for new telnet sites.
In short, GET YOUR OWN CLIENT. Under Unix, a client can be installed in
as little as 150-200K of free diskspace. At best, telnet client sites
should be used as a temporary solution until you are able to get your
own client. It is with this goal in mind that the foll. list is
provided:
wildcat.ecn.uoknor.edu 6677 or 129.15.22.174 6677
vinson.ecn.uoknor.edu 6677 or 129.15.22.174 6677
[ ACCESS'NOTE : The 2 Above -> SLOW & VERY UNSTABLE! ]
sci.dixie.edu 6677 or 144.38.16.2 6677
caen.fr.eu.undernet.org 6677 or 192.93.101.16 6677
obelix.wu-wien.ac.at 6677 or 137.208.8.6 6677
(obelix also runs on ports 7766, 6969 and 6996)
[ ACCESS'NOTE : The Above -> VERY Limited Number Of Users ]
Sites coming up:
rodica.arnes.si 6677
cyprus.csd.uch.gr 6677
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-4) Hmm..I'm confused. What does a client do? What's a server?
An irc client reads in the commands that you give it, and parses
them. It filters them and performs the appropriate actions, and if
necessary, passes them on to a 'server'. An IRC server can serve
many other clients. The server holds information about the channels
and people on IRC, amongst other pieces of information. It is also
responsible for routing your messages to other people on IRC. The
IRC network itself consists of multiple servers which connect to
one another in a 'tree'-like fashion (as an undirected acyclic
graph to be precise).
It is usually best if you select a server close to the site that
you irc from. Here's a partial list of servers to try:
us.undernet.org - Central USA
pasadena.ca.us.undernet.org - West coast USA
boston.ma.us.undernet.org - East coast USA
eu.undernet.org - Europe
ca.undernet.org - Canada
au.undernet.org - Australia
Usually, a countrycode.undernet.org should get you to one of the
servers in your region. If not, you can try one of the servers listed
above. To find out which server is closest to you once you're on
IRC, use the /links command to get a list of servers. To switch to
the closest server, try /server servername.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-5) What do I do next, once I'm connected to IRC? Is there a way to get
online help? Why won't /help work for me?
Thumb rule: All ircII commands must be preceded by a /
Thus, typing /help gives you a list of available ircII commands.
[If you're using ircII, and /help won't work for you, it's quite
possible that your local help files have not been set up right.
Try /set help_path <path-to-helpfiles>
and if that won't fix it, try
______________________________________________________________________________
3) More Informations About IRC ( MIT.Edu )
------------------------------------------
Document : irc-faq
Last-modified: 1994/08/31
Version: 1.39
(1) What is IRC?
IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat". It was originally
written by Jarkko Oikarinen (jto@tolsun.oulu.fi) in 1988. Since starting
in Finland, it has been used in over 60 countries around the world. It
was designed as a replacement for the "talk" program but has become much
much more than that. IRC is a multi-user chat system, where people convene
on "channels" (a virtual place, usually with a topic of conversation) to
talk in groups, or privately. IRC is constantly evolving, so the way
things to work one week may not be the way they work the next. Read the
MOTD (message of the day) every time you use IRC to keep up on any new
happenings or server updates.
IRC gained international fame during the 1991 Persian Gulf War,
where updates from around the world came accross the wire, and most irc
users who were online at the time gathered on a single channel to hear
these reports. IRC had similar uses during the coup against Boris Yeltsin
in September 1993, where IRC users from Moscow were giving live reports
about the unstable situation there.
(2) How is IRC set up?
The user runs a "client" program (usually called 'irc') which
connects to the IRC network via another program called a "server".
Servers exist to pass messages from user to user over the IRC network.
(3) How do I use a client?
First, check to see if irc is installed on your system. Type
"irc" from your prompt. If this doesn't work, ask your local systems
people if irc is already installed. This will save you the work of
installing it yourself.
If an IRC client isn't already on your system, you either
compile the source yourself, have someone else on your machine compile
the source for you, or use the TELNET client.
"telnet ircclient.itc.univie.ac.at 6668". Please only use the latter when
you have no other way of reaching IRC, as this resource is quite
limited, slow, and *very* unreliable.
(4) Where can I get source for an IRC client?
You can anonymous ftp to any of the following sites (use the
one closest to you): *** If you don't know what anonymous ftp is, ask
your local systems people to show you ***
UNIX client-> cs-ftp.bu.edu /irc/clients
ftp.acsu.buffalo.edu /pub/irc
ftp.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc
coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc
ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/comp/networking/irc/clients
slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/irc
there is also a client avaliable with the server code.
EMACS elisp-> cs-ftp.bu.edu /irc/clients/elisp
ftp.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/Emacs
ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/comp/networking/irc/clients
slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/irc/emacs
cs.hut.fi /pub/irchat
X11 client-> catless.ncl.ac.uk /pub
harbor.ecn.purdue.edu /pub/tcl/code
VMS -> cs-ftp.bu.edu /irc/clients/vms
coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc/vmsirc
ftp.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/vms
ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/irc
REXX client for VM-> cs-ftp.bu.edu /irc/clients/rxirc
ftp.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de /pub/irc/rxirc
ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/irc/VM
coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc/rxirc
ftp.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/rxirc
MSDOS-> cs-ftp.bu.edu /irc/clients/pc/msdos
ftp.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/msdos
MSWindows-> cs-ftp.bu.edu:/irc/clients/pc/windows
ftp.demon.co.uk:/pub/ibmpc/winsock/apps/wsirc
Macintosh-> cs-ftp.bu.edu /irc/clients/macintosh
sumex-aim.stanford.edu /info-mac/comm
ftp.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/mac
ftp.ira.uka.de /pub/systems/mac
(5) Which server do I connect to?
It's usually best to try and connect to one geographically
close, even though that may not be the best. You can always ask when you
get on IRC. Here's a list of servers avaliable for connection:
USA:
irc.bu.edu
irc.colorado.edu
irc.uiuc.edu
Canada:
sol.csd.unb.ca
Europe:
irc.funet.fi
cismhp.univ-lyon1.fr
disuns2.epfl.ch
irc.nada.kth.se
sokrates.informatik.uni-kl.de
bim.itc.univie.ac.at
Australia:
jello.qabc.uq.oz.au
This is, by no means, a comprehensive list, but merely a start. Connect
to the closest of these servers and join the channel #Twilight_Zone
When you get there, immediately ask what you want. Don't say "I have a
question" because then hardly anyone will talk.
(6) OK, I've got a client and I'm connected to a server, now what?
It's probably best to take a look around and see what you want
to do first. All IRC commands start with a "/", and most are one word.
Typing /help will get you help information. /names will get you a list
of names, etc.
The output of /names is typically something like this->
Pub: #hack zorgo eiji Patrick fup htoaster
Pub: #Nippon @jircc @miyu_d
Pub: #nicole MountainD
(Note there are LOTS more channels than this, this is just sample
output -- one way to stop /names from being too large is doing /names
-min 20 which will only list channels with 20 or more people on it,
but you can only do this with the ircII client).
"Pub" means public (or "visible") channel. "hack" is the channel name.
"#" is the prefix. A "@" before someone's nickname indicates he/she is the
"Channel operator" (see #7) of that channel. A Channel Operator is someone
who has control over a specific channel. It can be shared or not as the
first Channel Operator sees fit. The first person to join the channel
automatically receives Channel Operator status, and can share it with
anyone he/she chooses (or not). Another thing you might see is "Prv"
which means private. You will only see this if you are on that private
channel. No one can see Private channels except those who are on that
particular private channel.
(7) What is a channel operator? What is an IRC operator?
A channel operator is someone with a "@" by their nickname in
a /names list, or a "@" by the channel name in /whois output. Channel
operators are kings/queens of their channel. This means they can kick
you out of their channel for no reason. If you don't like this, you
can start your own channel and become a channel operator there.
An IRC operator is someone who maintains the IRC network. They
cannot fix channel problems. They cannot kick someone out of a channel
for you. They cannot /kill (kick someone out of IRC temporarily)
someone just because you gave the offender channel operator privileges
and said offender kicked *you* off.
(8) What is a "bot"?
"bot" is short for "robot". It is a script run from an ircII
client or a separate program (in perl, C, and sometimes more obscure
languages). StarOwl@uiuc.edu (Michael Adams) defined bots very well: "A
bot is a vile creation of /lusers to make up for lack of penis length".
IRC bots are generally not needed. See (10) below about "ownership" of
nicknames and channels.
It should be noted that many servers (especially in the USA) have
started to ban ALL bots. Some ban bots so much that if you run a bot on
their server, you will be banned from using that server (see segment below
on K: lines).
(9) What are good channels to try while using IRC?
#hottub and #initgame are almost always teeming with people.
#hottub is meant to simulate a hot tub, and #initgame is a non-stop game
of "inits" (initials). Just join and find out!
To get a list of channels with their names and topics, do
/list -min 20 (on ircII) which will show you channels with 20 or more
members. You can also do this for smaller numbers.
Many IRC operators are in #Twilight_Zone ... so if you join
that channel and don't hear much talking, don't worry, it's not because
you joined, operators don't talk much on that channel anyways!
(10) Someone is using my nickname, can anyone do anything about it?
Someone is using my channel, can anyone do anything about it?
Even while NickServ (see (13) below) registered nicknames, there
are not enough nicknames to have nickname ownership. If someone takes
your nickname while you are not on IRC, you can ask for them to give it
back, but you can not *demand* it, nor will IRC operators /kill for
nickname ownership.
There are, literally, millions of possible channel names, so if
someone is on your usual channel, just go to another. You can /msg them
and ask for them to leave, but you can't *force* them to leave.
(11) There aren't any channel operators on my channel, now what?
Channel operators are the owner(s) of their respective channels.
Keep this in mind when giving out channel operator powers (make sure to
give them to enough people so that all of the channel operators don't
unexpectedly leave and the channel is stuck without a channel operator).
On the other hand, do not give out channel operator to